Liberal MP dismisses Premier Allan and Treasure Symes as “out-of-towners”

Liberal MP James Newbury says “the Premier and new Treasurer don’t live in Melbourne – we are being run by out-of-towners”.

Brighton MP James Newbury said Labor is “overseeing a massive doubling of the population in our city and the two key decision makers don’t even live here”.

Liberal Brighton MP James Newbury has dismissed Premier Jacinta Allan and Treasurer Jaclyn Symes as “out-of-towners”.

Mr Newbury, who has been touted as a potential Liberal leader, issued an X social media post on Thursday night stating “the Premier and new Treasurer don’t live in Melbourne – we are being run by out-of-towners.”

He said the State Labor Government was “overseeing a massive doubling of the population in our city and the two key decision makers don’t even live here”.

Ms Symes responded by saying she and the Premier were proud to be regional Victorians.

“Let me state the bleeding obvious: regional Victorians are Victorians, too,” she said.

“We are not less capable because we live in country communities. We don’t deserve less or ask for more.

“We rely on the same health system, our kids attend the same school system, we work in the same economy, we face the same cost of living pressure – and we share the same future – as anyone in Melbourne – there are 1.6 million of us.”

Nationals leader Danny O’Brien declined to comment on his Coalition partner’s comments.

But farmer and former Municipal Association of Victoria president David Clark said regional Victoria was where the state’s wealth was generated.

“So, the best thing you could have is the person in charge coming from where the money is made,” Mr Clarke said. “There’s not a huge amount of commerce generated in Brighton.”

South-west Victorian dairy farmer and industry leader Ben Bennett called on both sides of politics to lift their game and debate real issues.

“Those of us who get out of bed at 5am to milk cows and make the state money don’t need this childish nonsense,” Mr Bennett said.

Ms Symes reminded Victorians it was former Premier Jeff Kennett who once called regional Victoria the toenails of the state.

She also highlighted that Mr Kennett’s Treasurer Alan Stockdale was the then member for Brighton and oversaw the closure of regional hospitals, train lines, schools and the SEC.